


Movie Night

by twdteacakes



Category: The Last of Us (Video Games)
Genre: Comfort, Family Fluff, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, TLOU2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:48:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25994725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twdteacakes/pseuds/twdteacakes
Summary: Patrol went swimmingly, allowing Ellie and Dina to arrive back in Jackson before a major snowstorm hit. Now, after the weather has calmed, Ellie goes to visit Joel once again, to begin patching up their relationship.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 156





	Movie Night

**Author's Note:**

> A/N - I just wanted to see what it would be like if Abby never showed up. If Ellie and Joel got the chance to heal. I hope you like what I wrote.

Ellie stood directly facing Joel’s front door, her hand hovering limply in the air. _Come on, Ellie. Don’t be such a baby. Just knock._ A shaky sigh escaped her lips, expelling a foggy cloud into the crisp night air. She pounded her closed fist against the door, making three clear, concise knocks. After that, she waited with bated breath.

Roughly a minute passed, and nothing in the house stirred. A chill settled on her skin, and caused a shiver to ripple across her spine. Light snowflakes - the remnants of a storm - drifted down from the heavens. They clung to her jacket and melted on her auburn hair. 

_This is so stupid. He’s probably wiped out after patrol. I should just come back tomorrow._ Ellie thought, and turned to leave. However, she stopped dead in her tracks when she heard footsteps creaking. The lock clicked and the door swung open, revealing Joel on the other side. Despite being cloaked in shadows, she could see the large, heavy bags under his eyes, which were crusted with sleep.

“Hey, kiddo.” Joel greeted, his voice groggy and words sluggish.

“Hey, Joel.” Ellie responded, giving him a tiny, awkward wave. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you, I can come back another time-“ 

“No, no, it’s fine.” He interrupted, partially because he was unable to keep up with her speaking at break neck speeds. “What’s up?”

Ellie twiddled with her fingers and avoided eye contact. “Can um... Can I come in?” She requested, gesturing at the warm, cozy interior. 

“Sure.” He answered without hesitation and moved aside, allowing her to make peaceful entry. Ellie slowly walked through the hallway and into the living room, with Joel following close behind. “Take a seat anywhere you like.” He offered, waving his hand in the general direction of his neatly arranged furniture.

“Thanks.” She uttered gratefully, and opted to nestle down on the leather couch. 

Pale, silver moonlight cascaded through the crystal clear windows, banishing the darkness which engulfed the room. Joel drifted through this dim glow like a ghost, and slumped down onto his reclining chair. Silence hung over them like a thick, dense fog. For a fleeting moment, Ellie could hear dogs barking in the distance and hushed voices passing by on the streets. A few wandering strays, gossiping about the events that unfolded today.

Eventually, the old man spoke. “Is there something wrong?” He asked, his voice cautious but swimming with concern.

Ellie laughed, in an attempt to break the tension. “No, nothing’s wrong, I just...” She trailed off for a few seconds, and traded a glance with his flatscreen television and DVD player. “...I was wondering if you wanted to watch a movie.” She finished, her voice lowering in volume, since she was slightly embarrassed by what she deemed a dumb idea.

A shy smile tugged at Joel’s wrinkled cheeks. “I’d like that.” He said, and rose from his chair. “Do you want to get some snacks first?”

Ellie’s emerald green eyes sparkled with joy. “What you got?”

“Well, I’m out of popcorn but...” The old man pondered for a moment, and wracked his tired brain. “How about beef jerky?” He suggested.

“Oh, fuck yeah!”

Joel clapped his hands together and shifted the weight of his foot. “Can I get you something to drink?” 

“You got any coffee left?” Ellie asked, a curious and yet mischievous flavour to her voice. 

Mild confusion became stitched into his forehead creases, and his brow furrowed. “Thought you didn’t like coffee.”

“I don’t, but I’m willing to give it a second chance.”

Joel bobbed his head and his face relaxed. “Alright. Beef jerky and coffee. I’m on it.” He stated, snapping his fingers and venturing towards the kitchen. 

“I can help!” Ellie called after him, quickly pushing herself off the couch.

His muffled voice carried through the walls. “Nah, you just sit back, relax, and take it easy.” 

Reluctant, Ellie retreated to her original position. Her leg bounced as she began to bite down on her fingernails. When was the last time she even visited Joel’s house? Sure, they had an important conversation on the porch yesterday, but she couldn’t remember setting foot in this place recently - certainly not of her own volition.

Bright, artificial light crept down the hall. A long, stretched shadow lingered, before moving from left to right with a sense of purpose. Joel must have switched it on, since fumbling around in the dark searching for coffee grains wasn’t the smartest idea. Although, she had to admit, the mental image was rather funny.

The maddening wait ended when Joel returned, with a packet of beef jerky tucked under his arm, and two mugs in his hands. 

“Here you go.” He said, holding the cup out to Ellie. She accepted it gratefully, and the heat radiating off the porcelain caused her palms to tingle. With his free hand, Joel tossed the beef jerky onto the rectangular, mahogany table, which was situated in front of her. 

The redhead resisted the urge to tear open the bag immediately, even though her stomach begged for nourishment. A sufficient meal hadn’t passed her lips - aside from the stale candy bars she robbed from a vending machine - and the physically taxing infected cleanup had only increased her appetite. It was tempting to scoff down her snack like a berserk animal, but she ultimately decided that she would eat like a normal person.

“So, how did patrol go?” Ellie asked, attempting to strike up another conversation. However, her green eyes drifted away from his silhouette, and lingered on the creamy milk, which swirled like a whirlpool within the dark brown liquid and plain, boring cup. It was almost hypnotic.

“It was... uneventful.” Joel answered, sipping on his coffee, whilst wispy clouds of steam circulated his head. “What about you?” He fired the question back at her, before returning to his seat.

“Same. But uh... Dina and I, we talked and...” She trailed off. Her mind buzzed and her heart drummed against her rib cage. “She wants to be my girlfriend. So we’re dating now.”

Joel seemed to perk up at that good news. Or maybe it was just the caffeine kicking in. Still, she dared to dream. His fingers grazed his broken watch before he spoke. “Wow, that’s... I’m real happy for you, kiddo.” He almost choked up, but disguised it with a cough. His hazel eyes shimmered with pride and, wait- were those happy tears?

No way.

Ellie didn’t realise how much she craved his validation, until she received it. In her younger years, a kind word from Joel tugged at her heart strings and made her feel lighter than air. Even now, he still had that powerful affect. Some things never change. “Thanks, Joel. That means a lot to me.”

He took another sip of his drink, and Ellie mirrored him. It was bitter but not too bad. Next time, she would make the coffee herself, and destroy it with a sugar avalanche. 

“You two should come round for dinner. My treat.” Joel suggested. 

She almost spat her drink all over him. “You? Cook?”

“Yeah.” He replied innocently. 

“I’m not trying to poison her!” She playfully mocked and teased.

The old man scowled. She had never seen him look so offended. “Hey, I’ll have you know my culinary skills have greatly improved.”

“Ha, bullshit.” Ellie scoffed. Tommy’s voice echoed and bounced around inside her head - he would complain constantly about Joel leaving the stew to bubble and stick to the edges of the pot.

“Alright, that’s enough. I didn’t let you in here to be insulted.” Joel placed his drink on the floor and stood up. “Now, what movie do you want to watch?”

The redhead stroked her chin, and pondered over her choice. A fond memory snaked through the forgotten labyrinth and reached the forefront of her mind, guiding her towards the perfect movie. “How about... Jurassic Park?”

His right cheek twitched into a half smile, as he walked over to the bookshelf. “You feeling nostalgic for our museum adventure?” He questioned, whilst fishing Jurassic Park out of his organised film collection.

“Maybe just a little.” Ellie admitted. “We should go back there someday. We never did get to check out the Natural History exhibits.”

“Sounds like a good plan to me, kiddo.” Joel hummed in agreement. He then shuffled around the couch, and approached the television stand. He knelt down, and flicked on the DVD player. It whirled to life, allowing Joel to slot the sacred, perfectly preserved disk inside. After all the preparations were made, he retreated to his chair and switched the television on using his remote.

A blinding white light burst from the screen, followed by several adverts and trailers for other movies they weren’t particularly interested in. Joel skipped over them without much thought, until they arrived at the menu screen. Jurassic Park’s main theme roared from the speakers, as the ‘play movie’ icon lit up, and Ellie’s anticipation swelled. 

“Ready?” He asked, glancing in her direction.

She nodded excitedly. “You bet I am.”

Joel hit play. The menu screen faded to black, but was swiftly followed by a sweeping chorus and the Universal logo. Once the movie officially began, he cranked up the volume, drowning them in such glorious music.

The two were silent for a while, watching the plot unfold. Neither of them dared to even breathe, afraid of creating too much noise, and ruining the experience. Joel sipped his drink quietly, whilst Ellie tested the limits, and munched on her beef jerky - hoping that her chewing wasn’t loud or obnoxious.

The Brachiosaurus herd was a true highlight, since the stunning visual effects and score kicking in caused goosebumps to ripple across her skin. But nothing could top the Tyrannosaurus rex and Donald Gennaro’s death scene. As morbid as it was, she couldn’t help but chuckle when he got devoured, and his body was swung around like a rag doll. _It’s a good thing he was already on the toilet. This dude was probably shitting himself._

During the less tense moments, when Dr. Grant was rambling about frogs being able to change their sex, Ellie’s attention shifted to Joel, who was starting to doze off. She smiled, but that expression faltered and disappeared quicker than it had arrived. Something was nagging at the back of her head, an itch she needed to scratch, before exhaustion finally claimed the old man.

“Joel.” She addressed him, her voice soft, scarcely above a whisper.

He hummed, to indicate he was listening. Ellie was surprised he heard her over the movie and veil of sleep.

Her mouth parted, but the words never formed. They were lodged in her throat. Eventually, she found her voice, and asked him a question, that constantly plagued her racing thoughts. “Why did you save me?” 

Joel looked away from the screen. Dinosaurs, so real and vivid, flickered in the corners of his tired eyes. This subject had become physically and mentally taxing. “Ellie... We’ve talked about this.”

“No, we haven’t. You told me what happened, but you never told me why. All I ever got was vague answers.” She argued, but refused to raise her voice. The last thing Ellie wanted was to start a heated debate, not after the progress they had made tonight. The relationship they were rebuilding piece by piece. Her one desire was the truth. She would happily never speak of that fateful day again if Joel helped her connect the final dots. His motivation wasn’t exactly hard to pin point, but she didn’t want to guess. She wanted to hear it from his mouth.

“...I did it because I couldn’t lose you. Because you’re too important to me. You’re my world, my everything, and-“ He stopped, his white knuckled grasp clinging to the upholstery of his armchair. His fingers grazed his broken watch once more - traced the cracks and crevices, scratched memories of his lost child. His tears glistened in the light from the television. “Truth is... I love you, kiddo.”

“Oh.” Ellie croaked out. Her lungs felt robbed of air. Hearing those three simple words was like being hit by a truck. And yet… The relief that she felt was unrivalled. Joel’s devotion left her utterly floored. _I love you too._ Is what she yearned to say. _You’re like the dad I never had._ Unfortunately, that confession was translated poorly and her real response was lacklustre. “Well, you’re not so bad yourself, old timer.” 

Joel chuckled and wiped his eyes. “I’ll take it.”

Perhaps one day she would find the strength to say what she truly meant. Maybe she could say it without the need for words.

“We should do this more often.” The redhead suggested. “A weekly movie night.”

“You know my collection isn’t that big. It won’t be long before we run out of movies.” He pointed out.

“Then we’ll find more. Take a minor detour on our next patrol. I’m sure Tommy won’t mind if I switch with him when we next go out.”

“A scavenger hunt, huh? Sounds like fun.”

The two refocused on Jurassic Park. However, Joel passed out before his favourite scene arrived; the Velociraptors in the kitchen, playing cat and mouse with Tim and Lex. The tension was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. It reminded Ellie of hiding from clickers, which was a frequent pastime.

Even though she was reaching the final hurdle, Ellie decided to switch everything off and take her leave. The movie just wasn’t as fun without Joel awake, but she didn’t have the heart to pluck him from his slumber. She retrieved some of his bedsheets from upstairs, and draped them over him. She then plucked his lukewarm, half empty owl mug from his loose grip, and left it by the kitchen sink. 

Joel no longer mumbled in his sleep. Those incoherent, restless whispers had been replaced by loud snores. He looked peaceful, wrapped in blankets and curled up in his armchair.

Ellie patted his hand gently, with not enough force to disturb him. “Goodnight, Joel.”

* * *

It was almost midday when Ellie awoke. After vacating through the backdoor of Joel’s house, she had met up with Dina, and chatted to her until the crack of dawn. Luckily, she wasn’t scheduled to venture beyond the walls today, so it didn’t matter if she slept in.

She was about to brave the winter cold and scrounge up some breakfast- or lunch rather, when she discovered a present sitting on her doorstep. It was a Tyrannosaurus rex, forged from wood, and peppered with snow.

Ellie scooped up the intricate carving, and marvelled at the details. Its beady eyes, tiny arms, long, whipping tail and massive jaws were so perfectly captured, almost as if it had leapt out of the television screen. Her eyes darted around, before settling on the culprit. Joel stood by the kitchen window, coffee mug in hand, and a smile decorating his wrinkled cheeks. With mighty effort, he cracked open said frost covered window and leaned outside.

“Hey sleepyhead.” He greeted. Ellie felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. “Do you want to come in? I’ve got some bacon on.”

Her mouth watered at the thought of crispy, tantalising bacon. “Yes please.” She replied, and her stomach growled in agreement.

“I’ll get you a plate setup.” He stated, and began pulling the window shut, in order to prevent heat from escaping.

“Hey, Joel!” Ellie called after him. Joel stopped and waited for her to continue. “Thank you.” 

“For what? The dinosaur?”

“No. Well, yeah but-“ She almost face palmed at her own inability to articulate her feelings. “Thank you. For everything.”

Joel’s hazel eyes sparkled in the golden sunlight. “No problem, kiddo.”


End file.
